The Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual and accompanying resources were developed by Argentina’s Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) and the Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) as part of a research and training project.
Postpartum hemorrhage and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia are the most common causes of maternal mortality globally. In the rare case that a woman suffers one of these obstetric emergencies, it is crucial that she receives appropriate and timely treatment. However, because of the infrequency of these cases, health care providers have few opportunities to practice, maintain, and grow their skills in managing postpartum hemorrhage and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia.
Obstetric emergency drills—a simulated obstetric emergency in a facility—allows midwives, nurses, and physicians to maintain knowledge, build skills, and develop teamwork to safely manage complications when they occur.
The following resources are available free of charge for use anywhere in the world. It is our hope that, when combined, these resources will be invaluable for clinicians seeking ways to prepare for obstetric emergencies.
Manual
Use the Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual to promote and practice team preparedness for obstetric emergencies. The manual outlines the steps necessary to run obstetric emergency drills on your obstetrics unit.
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual (English)
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual (Spanish)
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual (French)
Presentation
Use these PowerPoint slides to present the purpose and process of running obstetric emergency drills to hospital or delivery ward administrators and other stakeholders. Please use the manual for more instruction on how and when to use this presentation.
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual Presentation (English)
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual Presentation (Spanish)
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual Presentation (French)
Video
This short video shows obstetric emergency drills in action in Ethiopia and India and summarizes both the purpose and stages of running a drill exercise.
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual Video (English)
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual Video (Spanish)
Obstetric Emergency Drills Trainer’s Manual Video (French)
Related Blog Posts
For more information, check out our blog posts on obstetric drills and the training resources:
- Resource for Managing Postpartum Hemorrhage and Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia Now Available in French!
- Resource for Managing Postpartum Hemorrhage and Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia Now Available in Spanish!
- New Resource for Managing Postpartum Hemorrhage and Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia Now Available
- From the Archives | Practice Makes Perfect and Saves Lives: The Case for Obstetric Emergency Drills